Meet Jamie

Speaking is an essential part of everyday life. It would be almost impossible to go a day without needing to talk to people, whether it be to a family member, friends or whilst out shopping. Imagine what life would be like if you weren’t able to speak.
Jamie is 36 and has Cerebral Palsy which severely restricts his mobility as well as his ability to speak. Until Aidis’ help, his only way of talking was through his partner, Emma or a family member, translating for him.

"This is really amazing!"

Jamie and Emma originally met Aidis at an event in Peterborough. They had no idea about the specialised technology before this and in reference to the communication software Emma said ‘this is really amazing!’. She was impressed that the software allowed Jamie to select images to construct sentences, speaking, for the first time through the software’s human sounding voice. Jamie can navigate this software using a joystick as a mouse and a software program to click the mouse button.

As the communication barrier has been removed, Jamie can put his opinion across freely in conversation. Emma can now concentrate on what she wants to say, rather than what Jamie might want to say. By using Assistive Technology, he can make himself fully understood by anyone.
At school Jamie was unable to develop his literacy skills. He is now using the software to learn how to read and write, alongside his young children. Emma said she has never seen him so mentally stimulated.

Since his initial assessment at the event, Jamie has been using our free helpline and our remote support service for additional advice and training, so he can tailor the equipment to his precise needs.

His partner, Emma said,

“This has changed his life. The Aidis Trust have made it easier to understand the Grid and for Jamie to use it.”

Yet another massive breakthrough

Jamie is now confident using his equipment and within a month he is already sending texts with his computer to keep us up to date. Considering that previously Jamie couldn’t construct a written word or sentence, texting is yet another massive breakthrough and means he can now easily keep in constant contact with others outside his home.

Jamie said,

“Without you, I wouldn’t be using this software. I am writing this on my computer on my own! Thank you again for your help.”

What next?

We will continue to support both Jamie and Emma with our free helpline, where they can receive free one-to-one remote training, technical support and advice for as long as they need it.